Burgess Mausoleum - Mount Mora Cemetery - St. Joseph, Mo. - Mausoleums on Waymarking.com

From the National Register application:
(visit link)

"1900; Architect/Builder: unknown;

The Burgess mausoleum is a highly ornamental gabled structure built with Classical Revival detailing in 1900. Of dominant visual interest is the contrast between the dressed, carved stone elements and the rock-faced limestone blocks. On the facade, to either side of the centered entry, there are two huge rock-faced blocks supporting molded plinth and triple-grouped, smooth dressed limestone pilasters at the structure corners. The pilaster at the extreme corner returns around to the side elevation, as does the plinth on top the slightly projecting rock-faced blocks. The pilaster capitals are deeply carved in a floreate pattern.

On the building side elevations and at the rear, the smooth dressed ogee-edged roof slabs form a projecting cornice above the smooth dressed frieze. The construction is of much smaller rock-faced running bond limestone blocks than are on the front facade, some of which are quite long. At the rear corners are single corner pilasters whose treatment is identical to that of the facade. The gabled roof is built of narrow slabs of limestone - one to each side, and all smooth dressed, with an interlocking capstone that rises above the slabs the length of the structure. Centered at the facade is a finial cap of a cockleshell deeply carved into a round dressed stone resting on a square block.

Smooth dressed stone facings and jamb flank the centered entry. Above the door lintel and pilasters is a long dressed slab entablature. On the architrave in raised letters centered above the entry is the name "BURGESS". To either end of the architrave are bas relief floreate carvings into which are worked the numbers "19" and "00". The carvings continue around the corner but terminate above the corner pilaster on the side elevations. The pediment tympanum is a single smooth dressed slab with a large bas relief carving of an oak leaf laurel from which palm fronds project to either side. The pediment cornice is cavetto-shaped from the ends of the roof slabs.

The double-leaf entry doors are of dressed limestone slabs, flat and unadorned except for four large round-headed bronze bolts which secure each of the hidden door hinges. There is a single massive bronze door pull on the right hand door slab with a decorative handle finial and drop pendant. The entry is protected with paired bronze grille gates with elaborate detailing, hanging from a looped bronze pintle set into the jamb. Each grille leaf has an openwork curvilinear-patterned bronze corner brace to either side of a centered horizontal flat member, which in turn is decorated with raised metal bosses. When the doors are closed, it gives the appearance of a diamond shaped openwork grille interwoven with the vertical spear motif of the doors. At both the top and bottom of the grille doors are bronze horizontal structural members into which are cutout quatrefoil patterns. There is a single low stone step flush with the rock-faced blocks at the facade.

The square shaped interior chamber is finished with a white-glazed brick and has a single-slab smooth-finished limestone ceiling. The floor is alternating squares of white and black marble with a black marble border. The crypts are arranged lengthwise in the end wall with elaborate bronze pulls attached to the polished limestone covers."

History: See Long Description... Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight Hours Address: 824 Mt. Mora Rd. St. Joseph, Mo. USA 64501 Website: [Web Link]

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